Goa

Goa lies on the west coast of India and its main attraction is postcard perfect white sandy beaches lined with coconut trees. Add in a mix of Portuguese colonial architecture, bustling marketplaces, spice plantations, Goan hospitality and cuisine and you have a recipe for paradise. Goa has proven to be the perfect destination for yoga teacher trainees and yoga enthusiasts from around the globe to partake in our courses.

Himalaya Yoga Valley Centre is located in a small local community in Mandrem, in the principality of Pernem, North Goa. Mandrem is a traditional area and locals support themselves mainly through coconut farming and fishing.

Despite increasing tourism, Mandrem Beach maintains its lovely charm, peace and tranquility. Symbols of a rich history are fused with the present, creating a uniquely Goan atmosphere. Temples and churches mingled with forts and ruins of ages gone by take you on a journey back to the Portuguese era whilst the local Indian culture ensures an authentic, unforgettable experience. In the beachside village you will find a variety of restaurants serving delicious and affordable Indian and international food, several internet shops, an ATM, an Ayurveda Clinic, small general stores, money exchange, travel agents and street side vendors for unique and low-cost clothing and gifts.

Our Residential Yoga Centre

Our Centre is located in a quiet, peaceful area a 10 minute walk from Mandrem Beach, which boasts a long sandy beach on the Arabian Sea featuring warm water, dolphins, blue skies and amazing sunsets! The setting is quiet and peaceful – large private grounds nestled under a hillside with lots of greenery, natural bush land and trees.

The Yoga Villas

Trainees and retreat attendees stay onsite in the Yoga Villas, newly constructed spacious, secure and comfortable two-story buildings. Each Villa has four large bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and a sprawling common-use lounge area. The villas are maintained to the highest standards, serviced daily and are strictly non-smoking. While the area is extremely safe, our students and guests can rest easy knowing that the complex is gated with 24 hr security and double security staff in the evenings.

Restaurant & Meals

Our restaurant is vegetarian and uses the freshest local produce. Our meals are served buffet style with plenty of variety and wonderful flavours, including both western & Indian cuisine. Our famous buffet breakfast is healthy and hearty with a great selection of local fruits, vegan Bircher muesli, eggs, local cheeses and local breads. Our lunch menu includes Indian dishes such as Dal, Palak Paneer and rice, salads and western dishes.

Our food is always fresh, healthy and a big hit on our retreats and trainings! Our kitchen is managed by head Chef Simon Sirala from Canada and his team of local chefs, who runs the kitchen to the strictest of standards. Our kitchen provides breakfast and lunch with fresh juices, green smoothies, coconut water and small snacks available between meals. Meals are healthy and affordable ranging from £2.00 to £5.00 and snacks are also available all day. There is an abundance of excellent beach shack restaurants and local restaurants and most visitors enjoy going off-site for their evening meal. We encourage our guests to support the local economy in this way, but are happy to provide three meals a day upon prior arrangement.

Optional Health Treatments

Our fully equipped Training and Retreat Centre is available to yoga schools and Retreat group organisers to hold their Teacher Training and Retreats.

TTC Accommodation Options

Teacher Training Courses in Goa are held at our residential training and retreat centre and trainees stay onsite. Villa accommodation is discounted for attendees of our training programs and is excellent value and high quality. Triple shared rooms start at £13.00 per person per night, including breakfast.

There are various accommodation options to choose from at our centre suiting most budgets. Please note that all of your on-site accommodation preferences are allocated on a first come first serve basis. If all of your first preference rooms are fully booked we will then try our best to ensure that you can avail of your second preference.

Trainees receive a detailed information pack including accommodation details and rates upon receipt of application for their chosen training location.

We have over a decade of experience bringing thousands of yogis from around the world to India and we will make sure that you are safe, sound and happy at home with us, whether you arrive as a teacher trainee or retreat participant.

Getting to Goa

Goa is a popular tourist destination and there are plenty of flights in and out of its airport Dabolim (airport code GOI). Qatar and Air India fly directly into Goa and you may find that flying to a major Indian airport such as Mumbai or Delhi and getting an internal flight is much more economical and convienient. There are plenty of excellent domestic carriers that fly internally to Goa from all major cites. You will find these carries such as Spice Jet, Jet Airways and Air India on travel sites such as Makemytrip.com and Skyscanner.com You can also use skyscanner.com or Kayak.com to find affordable flights into India from Europe and North America.

Travel in India is an excellent experience and we reccomend you take time after the training to explore if you have that option. Unless you are a seasoned India traveler we do not recommend getting buses or trains to Goa at the start of your trip, especially if you are traveling alone for the first time. Domestic flights are extremely affordable and it is important that you arrive to your training well rested and ready for an intensive experience.

If you do wish to take a train or bus to Goa you will need to take the help of a travel agent internally to make your booking.

Getting to our Centre

Trainees and Retreat guests are well looked after by our administration team from the first point of contact via email until they are settled in the surroundings of the centre. We happily arrange collection for students from the airport with local drivers from Mandrem who are well known to us at the standard fixed taxi rates. Trainees can also get taxis at the government taxi rank in the airport. Our centre is approximately 90 minutes from Goa’s main airport and 2 hours from the main station Madgaon.

A Happy and Safe Travel Experience in India

Many students relish the opportunity to learn yoga at the source and rightly so! India is a truly incredible country and being able to practice with indigenous gatekeepers of yoga in it’s birthplace is truly magical. Whilst many first time travelers to India and Asia can feel nervous at the thought of taking a trip alone to a foreign country it is important to remember that we are located in an extremely safe, small and local beach village with practically no petty crime and no serious crime. India on a whole is a very safe travel destination and Goa is particularly safe for tourists and solo female travelers. The local community have been hosting western tourists for many decades and they enjoy a respectful and peaceful relationship with their visitors. Solo female travelers to Goa enjoy relaxed and safe interactions in the state. The economy depends on return visitors and the local community safeguard this return custom through care and respect for people coming to visit.

At Himalaya Yoga Valley we pride ourselves on having a perfect student safety record and we maintain this with 24 hour on site security, guest pre-registration for anyone wishing to enter our resort who is not a staff member or student and providing safety lockers in our office for any valuables students may have. Our resort is peaceful, safe and a pleasure to relax fully in. We also facilitate safe and secure travel to our centre from the airport with taxi drivers who are personally known to us and only from our village. We appreciate that travel anywhere in the world with the current climate can make some people nervous and we are more than happy to work with you from the point of application approval until you reach home to make sure you feel safe and secure for your entire experien

Visa, Vaccination and Further Travel Information

Upon confirmation of attendance on one of our programs, retreat participants and teacher trainees who are approved to attend our 200 & 500 Courses and are provided with detailed practical information on all of the above and many more important points such as what to wear, weather, local culture and food.